Open Thread For June 21, 2017

Filed in Delaware, National by on June 21, 2017

Delaware Correctional Officers To Finally Get Pay Raise:  Minner/Carney kicked the can down the road back in 2005, Markell punted the can as far as he could. Leading to an inevitable tragedy.  Might I point out that state employees have been treated with the same lack of regard as the correctional officers by disdainful governors? Well, mostly Markell.

Chemours Dumping Toxic Material Into North Carolina River?  Like parent company, like spin-off.

Why Ossoff Lost.  Wouldn’t take a strong stand on anything.  Did I mention that Dems suck?

CIA Shared Classified Info With Flynn Despite Fact He Was a ‘Known Security Risk’: This Pompeo guy hardly seems the guy for the CIA.

Check Out THIS Pharma Rip-Off. Combine two common over-the-counter drugs, give it a new name, charge thousands for scrips. Oh, and would you be shocked to learn that one of these combo of generics was created by, wait for it, Astra Zeneca? More great work from Pro Publica.

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  1. alby says:

    Re: Ossoff’s loss.

    Ossoff raised $23.6 million, compared to only $4.5 million raised for Handel, according to a report by The New York Times.

    Remember, the reason Democrats supposedly need corporate backing is that they can’t compete without rich people’s cash. How’s that working out for us?

    To paraphrase Walter Sobchak, say what you will about the tenets of Republicanism, but at least it’s an ethos.

  2. chris says:

    Ossoff raised millions from small donors nationwide in under 200 dollar contributions. Problem the House Dems have is that Pelosi is the face of the Dem party and all their candidates in rural and suburban districts get tied to her and other national Liberals. For the good of the Dem party, she needs to step aside.
    FACT: Every local race in nationalized with SF liberals. It is a HUGE PROBLEM.

    The Dem in South Carolina almost won when the race wasn’t nationalized.

  3. Ben says:

    Meanwhile, establishment dems continue to feign bewilderment at this loss. They are pathetic.
    And careful Chris… hinting that Pelosi is a problem gets you pounced on. You’re supposed to blame sexist Bernie Bros for every GoP win.

  4. alby says:

    The problem, IMHO, is that Democrats at the top levels keep playing to the middle in general elections. Republicans don’t. The result is that Republicans are energized and Democrats aren’t.

    As this strategy stopped working some years ago, one should wonder why Democrats keep doing it. My conclusion is that Democratic candidates do not support the policy proscriptions their voters do, and so don’t want to promise something their corporate backers will withdraw support over.

    That’s just a theory, though. I’m open to other interpretations, if anyone has them.

    As for this particular election, I’m inclined to agree with the Republican who said a day or two before the election that the ballfield attack won it for the GOP.

  5. anonymous redux says:

    some things gleaned from reading comments on stories from Atlanta and elsewhere. some republicans are complaining that handel is a too-moderate rino, which suggests that a lot of trump fanatics didn’t vote for her, which in turn could explain why trump’s victory margin was much greater than handel’s. this could be taken as a good (not great) sign for the trump opposition. also saw comments saying ossoff (spellcheck gave me “ossify”! ) would have done better if Bernie had stayed out of it. that could be a bad sign for those who think going farther left is the answer. I agree that Dems have to craft a clearer and better message, but not quite sure what that is yet. I admit the comments I cite are a small sample, but so is the blog entry you link to on this. anyway, still depressed that ossoff lost. prefer all trump embarrassment all the time.

  6. Paul Hayes says:

    From what I understand, corrections officers do not follow the safety protocols they learn as cadets. For example, the protocol is to close all doors and let them be locked. The reality is that doors are propped open because the procedure to unlock the door is too tedious. And that is just the tip of the lack of follow through. No matter how much you are paid, if you work in a prison, it remains in your safety interest to follow protocols. Guards certainly deserve a raise, but pay was not the underlying cause of this “crisis”, unless shorting in staffing created a situation in which locked doors could not be opened, et. al. In this I lay the responsibility at the feet of prison leadership. It is their example and their diligence that maintains protocols and reminds corrections officers why protocols are important.

  7. chris says:

    Dem leadership needs new, younger faces..not Pelosi, Hoyer, Clyburn and the other geriatrics. Xavier Becerra left after 20 years to be Cal Attorney General because no one can move up in those calcified ranks. He would have been first Hispanic Speaker of the House.

    FYI- Handel was no moderate RINO. She is against adoption by gay couples. Not sure any of the educated folks in one of the most educated districts in the country would support that.

  8. alby says:

    “some republicans are complaining that handel is a too-moderate rino”

    They always do.

  9. chris says:

    Ossoff- Would not have hurt either if Jon moved into the damn district he wanted to represent . He stubbornly clung to living outside the district with his girlfriend. Every time he was asked by press or an opponent who he would vote for in the election, he couldn’t answer it. He look stone faced silent. He should have just moved in after his primary win.

  10. anonymous redux says:

    alby: some democrats are always complaining that (fill in the blank) is a too-moderate dino.

  11. alby says:

    None of the candidates for these special elections have been top-drawer — these were people who were able to commit to a special on short notice. Even had they won, they would have had to run again next year, a tall order for any of them given the districts and the fact that Trumpcare hasn’t passed yet.

    All polling continues to show that this is THE issue people care about. It should be easier for Democrats to win once people start to lose coverage. Then again, jason will point out — with good reason — that they are Democrats and so almost programmed to lose. It’s not a good sign that Democrats are railing against the process of the Senate bill rather than the substance, which we know will cut even deeper because it must pass sequestration requirements.

  12. alby says:

    @ar: That’s because Democrats, particularly in Delaware, don’t elect anything but moderates. Show me a statewide Delaware elected official who is not. You can go back as far as you have to in history.

  13. Arthur says:

    The problem with that election (and all elections) is that for a small district – less the population than delaware – $50 million was spent. Billions of dollars are spent every 4 years in all elections. People complain about higher takes, and the cost of this and that, when the money wasted in elections could provide a whole lot more to those programs in areas that need it.

  14. Gerald maynes says:

    Gee, Dems are now 0 for five with special elections. Perhaps , you need to reach the average person. You know the Ines who haven’t seen a raise in years, the guy who is who is wondering about how long g it will be before his job is gone. You know the guy who could care less about social warriors. Gee, this is the reason that Trump beat you in the first place.

  15. chris says:

    Just looked at the poll here on DL:
    John Carney getting an F grade, followed very closely by a D grade. OUCH!
    Probably because he’s listening to the State Chamber more than the electorate.

  16. anonymous redux says:

    carney an “F”? he’s not that guy in Kansas. I’d say C-/D+. I’d save the Fs for actual republicans. but beyond the politics, he seems like a lightweight. Markell, say what you will about him, had some snap and crackle. he’s also a pop, which makes him a bowl cereal. but still better than an actual republican.

    leftists see pelosi as an out-of-touch fuddy-duddy beholden to money interests, which she is. conservatives see her as a “San Francisco” liberal, for whom they reserve a special place in hell. but to some extent they think we’re all like that wherever we live because we’re elitist intellectual snobs who want to tell other people what to think. (I know I do.) the virtues of liberal values are not as obvious to others as some liberals think they should be. I’d get rid of Pelosi if only because she can’t seem to get those virtues across to swing/apathetic voters looking for a reason to vote against trump and his type.

  17. Liz says:

    Time for dems to get corporate dems at least out pf leadership. All repukes are with corporate class along with far too many dems.

  18. alby says:

    @Gerald: The fact that these were all Republican house districts probably had something to do with it, too.

  19. Gerald maynes says:

    Hey, If you guys want to regain the house you have to start winning Republican seats.You aren’t going to do it with the only message being we hate Trump. You guys only control five states out of 50. These folks are telling you something, if you are willing to use your hearing.You need to give them a reason to vote for you

  20. alby says:

    I agree with the need for a better agenda. But let’s not pretend most gerrymandered seats are winnable.

    Besides, the message shouldn’t be that we hate Trump. It’s that we hate Republican policies, which are bad for people and bad for the economy.

  21. Liz says:

    Al right on!